Should I Ever Buy a Used Mattress?

CC Flickr photo courtesy of soundfromwayout. Trying to save a few bucks? We don't recommend getting a mattress this way, even if it's free!

Let’s face it. Most of us like to find ways to save money, and that includes purchasing items that are used. Some have no reservations about hitting the rummage sales or browsing through the local thrift store.

However, when it comes to choosing a mattress, most experts agree that you should never buy a used one.

Used Mattress vs. New Mattress

Used mattresses can pose a health issue and sanitation issue, and no matter how much you clean them, you never know if you’ve gotten them clean enough. Years of dead skin and microscopic insects are likely lurking in the layers of the mattress, which are quite deep. Additionally, you never know what kind of prior accidents might have happened on the mattress, including bed-wetting mishaps, blood stains or nausea outbreaks. Cold and flu germs could even possibly be embedded in the fibers.

Choosing a Mattress – Think about Dust Mites and Bed Bugs

One of the most common insects that live in mattresses is the dust mite. Dust mites are not visible to the human eye, so even after you’ve cleaned, there is no telling whether or not all of the little critters have been eradicated or if any still remain. Dust mites feed off of the dead skin that flakes off of the human body, and leave feces wherever they go. These invisible bugs love mattresses, logically because there are loaded with dead skin, and they likely take up long-term residence in the fibers. For some, dust mites cause allergies, and no one wants to break out into a sneezing fit when they’re trying to get some sleep.

Bed bugs are another concern. Although they seemed to have been unheard of since the early 1940’s, bed bugs have actually been on the rise again over the past decade or more. A bed bug, also known as a wall louse or redcoat, is a parasite that feeds off of human blood. Certainly no one wants to be the late night dinner of these insects, let alone have them crawling within the four walls of your bedroom!

In fact, if you were to examine the fibers of a used mattress under a scientific microscope, it would be enough to make you run away screaming in complete disgust. All of the filth and bacteria that you would be subjecting yourself to is not worth shortcut of trying to buy used. And, the greatest horror is that it’s not even your dirt! Who knows who used the mattress before you!

Sure, you could hire a professional to come and deep clean the mattress, but since services such as these are pricey, in the end you would not be saving yourself money in the long run. Additionally, most mattresses are not meant to last that long anyway. The maximum life expectancy for a mattress is approximately ten years; so if you were to purchase a used mattress, who knows how long it would be usable? It could be completely shot within a year or two.

Finding the Best Mattress for You

In conclusion, when choosing a mattress, it’s best to buy new. Just like you would not want to buy a used pair of shoes or someone else’s previously sampled cosmetics, you don’t want to rub someone else’s bacteria from their mattress all over your body. The best mattress is a brand new, perfectly clean mattress – one that you know will last you a number of years, and when you clean it, you at least know that the germs you are removing are your own.